Need a vacuum

[sue daine]

Hi all I need a new vacuum. It is for private domestic cleaning as well as communal areas in blocks of flats and end of tenancy houses.
I would say 80% carpets and 20% wood/laminate. The communal flats all have plenty of stairs and those are all carpeted.

I was using a Miele C3 cylinder and a Sebo x4. The Miele is knackered and the Sebo is great but when using the hose which is a lot of the time, taking the wand in and out of the vacuum is not a smooth operation and has to be pushed back into the body firmly, unless you turn the power off when it goes back easily (the suction makes it difficult)

I want a new vac that will pick up every bit off floors with as little passes as poss to reduce time, and it needs to be commercial as the motor has burnt out on the Miele. This vac will get a lot of use. Cost no issue as it needs to last.

Was looking at the Sebo BS360 but dont know how smooth an operation it is to keep getting the wand out (cobwebs, skirting boards, food bits in corners etc). It was easy with the Miele C3 as you had the wand in hand anyway and just needed to take the floor head off(I had the motorised head).

Also how easy is it on stairs? The Miele would sit on a step easily leaving both hands free whereas the Sebo needs a hand or a knee holding it from falling.

I dont want to buy a Sebo BS360 if its no better than my Sebo X4 as could carry on with that until it dies.

I dont want 2 vacs on each job as am alone 75% of the time and have enough stuff to carry.

 

[Ashley Jewkes]

They dont make them any more but how about a Miele S7 autocare, i had one until it was ruined when our house got flooded. can pick them up on ebay or FB market place for not a lot. fantastic suction as well as a built in grab and go telescopic wand.

 

[Colin Nash]

We've got Sebos. Both the standard head and extra wide. Both commercial machines. Also got a kirby. Fantastic on rugs.

For you I would suggest a Henry with electric power head, if they still do them? If not EBAY? Perhaps try wanted on the for sale section here. I know you can get turbo (air driven) heads. We had them in the past, some good and some simply brilliant. Others not very good at all. I really rate the electric head though. You simply plug it into the socket on the Henry's head. Had a socket fitted to my last Henry as it didn't come with one.

A chap told me the other day that he's never looked back since using a back pack vacuum for commercial stairways and corridoors. Perhaps with a turbo head that would be good for the sort of work you do.

For carpet cleaning though, it's the Sebo.

 

[Jacob Ward]

I loose count of the amount of numatic Henry's on sites and utilesd by domestic cleaners.
They do a job and they take abuse.

Why not the lindhaus ch30 pro for a change?

Enclosed is a picture of 1 with the telescopic wand pulled out all the way

Or you could go for a sebo d8 professional

The ultimate in a vac with a non powered brush bar

J

 

[sue daine]

Thanks all. Something to think about.
I like the telescopic wand on that Lindhaus. Will look into that. Also have been looking at the D8 today. Am going to go to a local vac shop that have just discovered have all the Sebos on display and let you try them.
What are people’s thoughts on the Shark liftaway vacs?

 

[Jacob Ward]

I didnt know shark did commercially rated vacuums ?

My motto is never turn up somewhere to do a job the client might have themselves.

Or peel the label of, buy your know it's a sharkey...

J

 

[sue daine]

It isn’t commercially rated but neither is my Sebo x4 and that is a total workhorse. Just want something that will fulfill all needs in one machine. Know what you mean about turning up with a commercial vac though.

 

[Jamie Biles]

Look at sebo felix/dart. You can get a hard floor head for about 30 that changes in seconds. Wand isn't telescopic but doubt you find something that will tick all boxes.

 

[Ken Wainwright]

Sadly, it's not a perfect world and it's unlikely that you'll find a machine that fulfils ALL of your needs. Somewhere there will be a compromise.

The most flexible aspect of the task in hand is us, the operator. By varying technique, the way we stand, the way we lift........ will enable us to work around any issues. The machine you eventually purchase should be the one that comes closest.

For me, it was a Sebo BS46 (the wide track version). I customised it a little with the crevice tool and the upholstery tool from the X4 mounted on the handle. Great on the flat, easy to use crevice nozzle for the edges, stands easily on the stairs with minimal support from me and good for residential work and fantastic for commercial. Like all Sebos, superb build quality, readily available spares and accessories and lasts for years and years and years........ The price may be higher but the actual cost over the years works out lower. A colleague had 3 Sharks in one year all under warranty

As that young whipper snapper Jacob says, don't turn up with kit that a customer may have themselves, they think in a different way to us.

Safe and happy cleaning
Ken

 

[Jacob Ward]

Whippa what Ken?


J

 

[Jamie Biles]

And with felix/dart you can remove head and walk around with Hoover one hand and hose in other. The Germans think of everything,hard to beat.

 

[sue daine]

One of my clients has the Felix and I dont like the way the hose has to be taken out of the machine low down. Do love the idea of removing floor head to walk round with hose in hand, thats the same idea as the Shark liftaway, didn't know until now that Sebo have already thought of it.
I am leaning towars the BS36, I think the 46 may be too big for me.

Ken, on the Sebo is the wand telescopic? I believe the Lindhaus version is? and is it easy to remove from vacuum body? Thats the only thing I don't like about the X4 really, its not easy to put back in after using the wand.

 

[Ken Wainwright]

I definitely prefer the BS over our X4 at home. Different lances, both NOT telescopic and I don't see the need. Maybe I'm used to mine but it seems easy. The BS withdraws from the back of the machine (convenient as that's where you are standing) and the X4 from the front. Try a little Mr Sheen on key parts of the lance and see if that helps.

My set up with tools on the handle of the BS is far better than the in-body tools of the X4 and Lindhaus (no bending and fiddling around)

 

[James Smith]

@ Sue Daine Manchester Vacs by any chance , if not then give them a look

 

[Joe Hatton]

[. A colleague had 3 Sharks in one year all under warranty

Safe and happy cleaning
Ken
[/QUOTE]

That is strange Ken. I have used Shark at home for a few years now and not had any problems. Only changed to get a newer model with features I wanted, the outgoing one was sold to someone who had good experiences of Shark and was buying it for her daughter.
That said, I have had good experiences with Sebo BS36 too.

 

[sue daine]

@ James Smith, yes Manchester Vacs is where I am going to go and try out the bs36 and the cylinder, need to feel the weight etc.

@ Joe Hatton, have you tried the Shark Liftaway, was thinking off maybe getting that for home. I like the 5 year warranty.

@ Ken Wainwright don't you mean the lances are the other way round, the X4 lance is at the back of my X4?
I rang Sebo who said that a lot of customers ring about it being difficult to replace the lance while the X4 is switched on, when powered off it slides back easily, they said it was due to the suction making it hard to do. Thanks for the Mr Sheen tip I will do that today.

Also Ken, any chance of a photo to show how you have modified the tool storage on your BS?

 

[Ken Wainwright]

Joe

My colleague was using his Sharks commercially so that's all day every day, in and out of the van. A machine kept in a cupboard for home use has a much easier life. But I don't know whether the replacements were due to case breakages or technical issues.

Sue

Whoops! I was always a bit backwards coming forwards, my apologies My machine is kept down at Solution in the training room but below is a picture of a student using it, The Sebo accessory clips are used. The upholstery brush from the X4 does not fit the BS clips so I used a fine hack saw to make the clip's "arms" a little thinner so that the tool would fit. It worked really well for me and many students have adopted my little mod.

 

[sue daine]

Thanks Ken that’s a great idea. Are the Sebo clips universal or specifically for the BS? Take it the X4 clip is no good?

 

[Ian Morton]

...Einfach...(simply...) Vorsprung durch SEBO...!!!

 

[Ken Wainwright]

Thanks Ken that’s a great idea. Are the Sebo clips universal or specifically for the BS? Take it the X4 clip is no good?

I don't know the answer Sue, maybe look on the Sebo site and compare part numbers?

Anyhow, Solution/World Of Clean sell them for the BS models.